Battle of the brands: Cream blush ranking

For the latest post in my battle of the brands series, I’m ranking my entire cream blush collection to tell you which is my all-time fave.

My battle of the brands series is where I rank my makeup collection by a specific product type. From foundations and bronzers to lip liners and brow products, battle of the brands is my ultimate makeup collection rating, so you can see my holy grail products.

Starting from my least favourite product and working my way up to my number 1 product in any given category, this is the fastest way to see my thoughts on my makeup collection. I’ve previously ranked my powder highlighters, mascaras, skin tints and tinted moisturisers, lip glosses, brow products, and more.

Find out which cream blushes are my faves in terms of ease of blending, shade, texture, and application.

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10. e.l.f. Putty Blush

£7 for 10g

The e.l.f. Putty Blush is a good, affordable drugstore cream blush. This transforms from a cream into a semi-matte powder finish. It’s pigmented, lightweight, and easy to blend. While I like the formula, I just don’t find it particularly exciting. I prefer a more radiant finish when it comes to blushes. This one performs well and is reliable, lasting for hours, but there’s nothing fancy about it.

9. Perricone MD No Makeup Blush Balm

£33 for 4.2g + 20% off with the code PMD20

The Perricone MD No Makeup Blush Balm is a lovely, natural-looking stick blush. It’s perfect for achieving a no-makeup makeup look, as it delivers a subtle raspberry tint with no shimmer, providing a light flush of colour to the cheeks. The formula is easy to work with, but I prefer cream blushes that pack a bit more of a punch.

8. Stila Convertible Colour

£18 for 4.25g

The Stila Convertible Colour provides a gorgeous, creamy and radiant pop of colour. It’s so flattering on the skin, as it doesn’t pill or cling to dry patches, and blends and builds effortlessly. The smooth consistency lends itself well to layering. Whether you want a subtle flush of colour or have blush blindness, this versatile blush is perfect. You can also use it on your lips. The only reason I’ve ranked this blush lower is because it’s a bit sticky and doesn’t dry down, which puts me off using it.

7. REFY Cream Blush

£16 for 1.5g

The REFY Cream Blush is great for those lazy makeup days when you want to look sophisticated with minimal effort. This cream blush applies so well with your fingertips. A few taps into the blush and onto your cheeks lead to a soft, dewy flush of colour. The blush provides light, buildable coverage and is very smooth. It also feels hydrating.

6. Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Blush

£12 for 6g

The Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Blush is my fave drugstore cream blush. This affordable formula is smooth, creamy, blends effortlessly, and doesn’t feel greasy or heavy on the skin. It melts into the skin and provides buildable coverage for a luminous wash of colour. I’ve got this in the shade 110 Nude Kiss, and it’s the sort of shade that will complement any makeup look. I still prefer other formulas, but this is an excellent drugstore cream blush.

5. MERIT Flush Balm

£26 for 9g

Please ignore how dirty my MERIT Flush Balm looks lol. I need to clean it desperately. Out of all the cream blushes in this post, this one is my fave on-the-go formula. It melts effortlessly into the skin. You can swipe it directly onto your cheeks and then pat it into your skin without it looking patchy, clinging to texture, or disappearing into nothing. It provides sheer, buildable coverage, and you can layer the blush as much as you like without it ever looking too much. The formula is creamy, smooth, and lightweight. It provides a lovely lit-from-within pop of colour. It’s perfect for achieving the clean girl makeup look.

4. rhode Pocket Blush

£24 for 5.3g

The rhode Pocket Blush went viral on social media for a reason! These cute cream blushes leave a stunning, radiant pop of colour while leaving skin soft, hydrated, and smooth. I actually don’t think these blushes are as easy to apply as other cream blushes in this post. I find they apply quite patchily with my fingertips and work way better with a brush. They’re also not the most pigmented cream blush in this post, so it takes a bit of layering to get decent colour payoff.

But I’ve rated these blushes so highly because the shades are second to none. The colours wake up your cheeks and are so flattering. I particularly love Toasted Teddy, which is the best blonzer shade for a toasty, sunkissed vibe. I also love the satin, lightweight finish of these blushes. Once applied, it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing any product at all, so the formula is very comfortable.

3. Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo

£34 for 10.5g

The Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo is by far the most pigmented blush in this post. In fact, I sometimes think these blushes are a bit too pigmented. A tiny bit of product goes a long way for insane, saturated colour. These blush duos consist of a powder and cream blush, so I’m just focusing on the cream blush in this post.

I love the creamy formula and glowy finish. These blushes have a lovely skin-like finish that never pill, blend easily, and layer like a dream. The shade range is divine. While the rhode blushes are perfect for natural makeup looks, the Patrick Ta blushes are for when you want to make an impact. They’re bold, radiant, and vibrant. These blushes add the most gorgeous finish to any makeup look, and you’ll be sure to receive a tonne of compliments when you wear them.

2. Makeup by Mario Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil 

£30 for 5g

If the rhode and Patrick Ta blushes had a baby, it’d be the Makeup by Mario Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil. This stunning formula offers the soft, buildable consistency of the rhode blushes and the glow and vividness of the Patrick Ta blushes.

I’m obsessed with the shades and texture of this blush. The consistency is dreamy because it’s creamy, smooth, moisturising, and melts into the cheeks effortlessly. You can end up blending this blush into nothingness if you blend too much, as the formula is so pliable. The shades are stunning, ranging from baby pinks and soft peaches to bold berries and spiced rose. The Makeup by Mario cream blush is the glowiest formula on this list, giving your cheeks a dewy, healthy finish that looks unreal. And I’m a sucker for a radiant blush.

1. Nudestix Nudies Bloom

£31.50 for 7g + 15% off at Sephora with my code SARAHSSPH

The Nudestix Nudies Bloom is my fave cream blush ever. The formula, shade, and finish are just the best. I’ve got the shade Cherry Blossom Babe, which is a beautiful cherry blossom colour that works perfectly with cool- and warm-toned makeup looks. This is my go-to shade for whenever I want a mid-toned neutral pink blush to tie in the rest of my makeup because I know it’ll look amazing.

The creamy formula is a breeze to work with. Whether you apply the stick straight to your cheeks and then blend it out with a brush or your fingertips, tap your fingertips onto the blush and then pat the formula onto your cheeks, or warm some of the blush on the back of your hand and dip a brush into it to then blend onto your cheeks, this cream blush works perfectly. It offers medium, buildable coverage that’s impossible to overdo and blends and layers seamlessly. Every single time.

The Nuestix Nudies Bloom offers a dewy, shimmer-free finish that is a cheat code to healthy, radiant skin. I just love this formula. It’s super reliable and always delivers exactly what I want. Not too pigmented where you can look OTT and not too creamy where you can end up with no colour on your cheeks in the end. It’s perfectly in the middle.

Sarah Sarsby is the owner of A Woman's Confidence. With over 6 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has oily skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.